Survey: Downtown, OTR seen as safe, clean

Survery queried downtown residents for first time

UPDATED 10:26 AM EST Nov 12, 2012

CINCINNATI -

Downtown Cincinnati, the Central Business District, The Banks and Over-the-Rhine are seen as clean and safe destinations with much to offer visitors, workers and residents, according to the 2012 Downtown Perceptions Survey.

The Downtown Perceptions Survey is an annual project of Downtown Cincinnati Inc. For the first time in the survey's history, special questions were posed to the growing number of downtown residents.

The survey found that satisfaction with downtown's safety and cleanliness saw improvements by all populations who visited downtown. Those who strongly or somewhat agreed that downtown is safe rose to 73 percent in 2012, a 10-point increase from 2011. Likewise, those who found downtown clean rose 8 points, from 70 percent to 78 percent in 2012.

Favorable opinions of downtown showed improvement by all segments, with 90 percent of total respondents noting a somewhat or extremely positive impression of downtown.

Of those who indicated they had visited Over-the-Rhine, 83 percent said their opinion of Over-the-Rhine was more favorable now than it had been over the past year.

When asked for reasons the respondents came downtown, the top 5 results were dining, events on Fountain Square, sporting events, Findlay Market, and bars and parks, which tied for fifth place.

Downtown residents cited accessibility, social life and an urban lifestyle as reasons for living downtown. The survey found 81 percent of those living downtown significantly or somewhat agree that downtown has changed favorably compared to a year ago.